What is the most effective way to prepare attendees for a meeting?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before you invite anyone to a meeting, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how much time you need. A meeting without purpose or scope is likely to be unfocused, irrelevant, too broad, too deep, or too long. To define the purpose and scope of your meeting, ask yourself what the main objective or outcome is, what topics or tasks need to be discussed or completed, who the key stakeholders or contributors are that need to be involved or informed, and how long the meeting will last and how the time will be allocated.

2 Create and share an agenda

An agenda is a roadmap for your meeting that outlines the topics, objectives, and activities that are to take place. It helps you and your attendees to prepare, prioritize, and participate in the meeting effectively. To create an effective agenda, use clear and concise language that is easy to understand and follow. Include the meeting purpose, date, time, location, and attendees. List the topics or tasks in order of importance or sequence and assign a time limit and a responsible person for each topic or task. Additionally, indicate the expected outcome or deliverable for each topic or task as well as any pre-work or materials the attendees need to review or bring. Share your agenda with your attendees at least 24 hours before the meeting, and ask for their feedback or input in order to give them enough time to prepare, ask questions, or suggest changes.

3 Set expectations and goals

In order to ensure that your meeting attendees are on the same page and aligned with your vision, it is important to set clear expectations and goals for the meeting. Expectations refer to the rules or guidelines that outline how the meeting will be conducted and what behaviors are expected from the attendees. Goals, on the other hand, relate to the desired results or outcomes that the meeting aims to achieve. Therefore, when setting expectations and goals for your meeting, consider aspects such as roles and responsibilities of each attendee, ground rules or norms for communication, collaboration, and decision making, how the meeting will be facilitated and moderated, how progress and performance will be measured and evaluated, as well as specific and measurable objectives or milestones that need to be accomplished. Furthermore, it is essential to communicate these expectations and goals to your attendees before and during the meeting, while reminding them of the benefits and value of the meeting.

4 Follow up with action items and feedback

The last step to prepare your attendees for a meeting is to follow up with action items and feedback. Summarize the key points and decisions made in the meeting, assign and document the action items, deadlines, and owners. Additionally, send a meeting summary and action plan to the attendees and relevant stakeholders. To ensure successful completion of tasks, track and monitor progress of the action items. Furthermore, solicit and provide feedback on the meeting effectiveness and satisfaction, and celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of the attendees. By following these tips, you can prepare your attendees for a meeting that is productive, engaging, and rewarding.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?